Want to live off-grid?

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When I saw the title of this thread I had to think about it for a moment. My conclusion was I really don’t want to live off grid. I genuinely like the comforts and convinces that modern society offers. Now, that being said, my goal is to have a solar backup system that I can still live comfortably if the grid goes down for either short or long term. Yes, I can gather sticks and cook a meal when needed, but it’s a whole lot easier to do on an electric or gas stove. To me prepping is an insurance policy that is there to make life easier through rough times. I hope none of us ever have to make it a full time gig.
 
One of my favorite shows is Naked and Afraid. They drop a man and a woman, strangers, off in remote locations for three weeks, and yes they are butt naked. They give them two or three things to use, like a machetti or fire starter. It still amazes me at how poorly they do. Most don’t have any prior skills and willingly go out to suffer for 3 weeks. It seems that many will do just about anything for their chance at 15 mins of fame.
 
to me living off grid is no big thing, I did it for several years in the past and would happily do it again if the situation arose, I don't much care for the 21st century and the technology thing is getting scarier and scarier, I yearn to live a simpler and more basic lifestyle.
I like a little of both. I enjoy growing a garden and fruit trees. I don’t need constant high excitement like most young people now do, and am content in life. I also enjoy the conviences of hitting a switch and the lights come on, getting in a car and driving whenever I want, and things like running water and hot showers. Not all things modern society offer are bad. Having access to decent medical care when a loved one gets sick is a really nice one too.
 
the thing is you and I can live without these things, but most people and especially snowflakes would be unable to survive without such things because they've never had to and they never expect to have to.
I prefer to be away from people, I don't much care for "society" as it is these days, we have talked before about the shootings in America and in the UK, I don't like the way things are going and the sooner it all falls apart the better, we need a clear out of the gene pool and a much reduced population and a return to a self reliant culture not the current one of "I want it and I want it NOW".
more than that I think not only is it imminent but its also unavoidable. its more a case of WHEN not IF.
 
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there is more than one way to live off grid,,,,you can go back to the old ways of no power,phones or computers,,,,which pretty much sucks

or you drop off uncle sams radar and disappear without a trace,,,now that is off the grid in my books
 
When I saw the title of this thread I had to think about it for a moment. My conclusion was I really don’t want to live off grid. I genuinely like the comforts and convinces that modern society offers. Now, that being said, my goal is to have a solar backup system that I can still live comfortably if the grid goes down for either short or long term. Yes, I can gather sticks and cook a meal when needed, but it’s a whole lot easier to do on an electric or gas stove. To me prepping is an insurance policy that is there to make life easier through rough times. I hope none of us ever have to make it a full time gig.

To me OFFGRID doesnt mean roughing it at all it means generating your own power, gas, water, sewage food etc via Solar, Wind, Anaerobic digesters, Hydro, Bio diesel, Growing your own, Composting toilets etc SELF SUFFICENCY not SELF SUFFERING :)
 
who's got time to do all that? especially after SHTF.
your only roughing it if your doing it wrong!!! ;) we learned that in the scouts.
keep it simple, don't complicate things.
still I suppose we all have our own ways of doing things, wouldn't do if we were all the same!
 
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no power, no phones, no computers, to me that is the natural way to live, but then I've always been an old fashioned kind of person, I KNOW i'm not like everyone else!!;)
One summer in central Georgia without electricity will cure you of that idea LOL!
 
One summer in central Georgia without electricity will cure you of that idea LOL!
Lol, one night without AC is miserable! I had a friend call me with no power yesterday. It was midday and when I pulled up he was sitting in the carport. I was able to restore power for the house but the condenser fan was toast on his AC. I don’t do AC work but probably could have found a motor to replace it, but he said an AC guy worked on it days ago so he called him back. Luckily he got the unit going by the evening. Even if my main unit fails, I will get a window unit for the bedroom to sleep in while I’m waiting for the new unit to get going again. I love the south, but not everything about it!
 
Lol, one night without AC is miserable! I had a friend call me with no power yesterday. It was midday and when I pulled up he was sitting in the carport. I was able to restore power for the house but the condenser fan was toast on his AC. I don’t do AC work but probably could have found a motor to replace it, but he said an AC guy worked on it days ago so he called him back. Luckily he got the unit going by the evening. Even if my main unit fails, I will get a window unit for the bedroom to sleep in while I’m waiting for the new unit to get going again. I love the south, but not everything about it!

Hell yeah! We have a unit upstairs and a mini split in the basement. I’m set either way.
 
Hell yeah! We have a unit upstairs and a mini split in the basement. I’m set either way.
If I had it to do over I would do the same here. Changing the ductwork at this point would be more work than it’s worth at this point. I really do like the idea of two independent systems. Odds of them both failing at once are pretty low. My unit is about 11yrs old now so is ready to be changed. I guess I need to start looking now, before I need to. Luckily I can install a package unit myself as labor is about half the cost for an AC replacement.
 
If I had it to do over I would do the same here. Changing the ductwork at this point would be more work than it’s worth at this point. I really do like the idea of two independent systems. Odds of them both failing at once are pretty low. My unit is about 11yrs old now so is ready to be changed. I guess I need to start looking now, before I need to. Luckily I can install a package unit myself as labor is about half the cost for an AC replacement.

Yeah. Ours is old too, but keeps on ticking. I really wanted to change it out for a more efficient one (it’s a 10 SEER), but couldn’t justify the cost.

The minisplit is a 24 SEER. it costs nearly nothing to run, and blows hot air with no heat strips down to below 10 degrees.
 
Yeah. Ours is old too, but keeps on ticking. I really wanted to change it out for a more efficient one (it’s a 10 SEER), but couldn’t justify the cost.

The minisplit is a 24 SEER. it costs nearly nothing to run, and blows hot air with no heat strips down to below 10 degrees.
I hadn’t even seen up to 24seer! I just looked at a 2.5 ton package unit at 16seer delivered for 2600 with no tax. The 14seer are closer to 2k. I like the package unit as it’s already pre charged and all you have to do is connect power and ducts. The thermostat is the hardest part to wire but isn’t too bad.
 
I hadn’t even seen up to 24seer! I just looked at a 2.5 ton package unit at 16seer delivered for 2600 with no tax. The 14seer are closer to 2k. I like the package unit as it’s already pre charged and all you have to do is connect power and ducts. The thermostat is the hardest part to wire but isn’t too bad.

I need a 3 ton. An 18 seer costs about $6k, but the efficiency would pay the difference in about 3 years.

Hell, we spent about $2500 to get the bottom of the frog spray foamed (that’s where the unit is), and it paid for itself in 2 years.
 
I hadn’t even seen up to 24seer! I just looked at a 2.5 ton package unit at 16seer delivered for 2600 with no tax. The 14seer are closer to 2k. I like the package unit as it’s already pre charged and all you have to do is connect power and ducts. The thermostat is the hardest part to wire but isn’t too bad.
Just realized I need a 3 ton unit, back to google!
 

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